WHAT IS THE "WORK OF GOD" ?
Many who consider themselves Christians, refer to "doing the work of God". Do we understand exactly what that "work" is, according to scripture? Some have said that Gen. 2:2 shows that the Father's work was finished at the end of Creation week. Others have used Jn. 4:34 with Jn. 17:4 to show that Christ (Messiah) finished it.
Below are some questions and scriptures to help us understand this subject.
1. Should we ask the Father to show us what His "work" actually is?
Psa. 90:16-17 Psa. 77:11-12
2. Are there different phases of the Father's "work"?
Gen. 1:1, 27 2 Sam. 2:4 Jn. 6:28-40
Gen. 6:7-8 1 Chrn. 5:26 Jer. 18:1-10
Gen. 9:1 Ezra 1:1-3, 5 Acts 13:38-41
Gen. 12:1-2 Mat. 1:21 Heb. 2:10, 13
Ex. 3:7-8 Jn. 19:30
3. Does the Bible explain which phase of the "work of God" is being accomplished, today?
Jn. 6:28-40 Mat. 5:14
Heb. 5:12-14 Heb. 12:22-29
4. Who will do the Father's "work"?
Jn. 6:28-40 Phil. 2:13 Heb. 2:10
Jn. 14:10 Isa. 49:7-10 Jer. 18:1-10
Isa. 26:12 Psa. 66:1-20, especially 3-5, 10, 13, 15
5. Is Christ (Messiah) capable of being the One to do the Father's "work"?
Deu. 32:4 Mat. 1:21 Mk. 6:4-6
Psa. 111:2-8 Isa. 49:6-10 Jn. 12:44-50
Psa. 126:2-3 Heb. 2:10 1 Tim. 2:5-6
Isa. 43:11, 13, 15 1 Cor. 1:7-9 Rev. 5:5-12
6. Are we, the "work of God"?
Jn. 6:28-40 Eph. 2:10 Phil. 1:6
Isa. 43:14, 15, 21 Jer. 18:1-10 Job 14:15
7. What is "the work", which the Father is working, in us?
Jn. 1:12-13 Acts 17:28-29 Gal. 4:4-7
Heb. 2:10 Lk. 20:36 2 Cor. 6:16-18
Gal. 3:26 Rom. 8:14, 16-17 Rev. 21:7-8
8. What is our part in "the work of God"?
Jn. 6:28-40 1Pet. 1:21 Isa. 26:3-4 Rom. 9:33
Jn. 7:38 Psa. 4:5 2 Chrn. 20:20 Gal. 3:6-9
Jn. 12:46 Psa. 37:3, 5 Dan. 6:23 Heb. 11:1-40
Rom. 3:28 Psa. 62:7-8 Dan. 3:28
Rom. 4:3-4 Mk. 11:22 2 K. 18:5
9. Is the Father's "work" for a greater purpose than just those being "worked with now"?
Heb. 8:10 Isa. 45:22 Mic. 4:2 Mat. 13:38
Ex. 6:7 1 Tim. 2:4-6 Psa. 22:27
2 Cor. 6:16 Gal. 3:8 Lk. 3:6
Rev. 21:3 Rev. 5:9 Isa. 52:10
10. Did the Father end His work at Creation?
Gen. 2:2 Ecc. 3:11 Isa. 5:11-19
Psa. 119:126 Ecc. 7:13 Isa. 10:11-12
Hab. 1:5 Ecc. 8:17 Isa. 43:11-13
11. Did Christ (Messiah) finish "the work" at His death?
Jn. 17:4 Acts 13:41 Eph. 2:10
Jn. 5:17 Rom. 9:28
Jn. 9:24 Mat. 24:22
12. Can men interfere with, or prevent, "the work of God"?
Acts 5:38-39 Psa. 2:1-5 Pro. 1:17
Mat. 16:18 Psa. 127:1-2 Psa. 33:10 (see also NIV)
2 Cor. 10:3-5 (see also Wey trans.) Isa. 8:9-13 (see also NIV)
13. Does our part "in the work" involve more than just faith and belief?
Rom. 2:13 Zech. 8:23 Pro. 23:23 1 Jn. 3:18
Jas. 1:22-25 Mat. 24:44-46 Mat. 13:44-46 1 Cor. 14:1, 12
Mat. 19:16-22 Mat. 10:38-39 Jn. 15:12-17 Col. 1:10
Mat. 25:14-30 Jas. 1:27 Mat. 10:5-8 Mat. 5:48
Lk. 19:11-27 1Cor. 12:31, Rom. 2:3 Ex. 19:5-6
Heb. 5:12-14 Gal. 5:16-26 Mat. 3:8
From Strong's Concordance, we find several different Hebrew and Greek words translated as "work" or "works".
Hebrew:
4399 -- melakah: deputyship, i.e. ministry; gen. employment (never servile) or work (conc. or abstr.).
3027 -- yad: a hand (open, not closed) in a great variety of applications ( both lit. and fig.); work.
4639 -- maaseh: an action (good or bad); gen. a transaction; abstr. activity; by impl. a product; work
6467 -- poal: an act or work (conc.); deed
6213 -- asah: to do or make; work
5673 -- abiydah: (Chald.) labor or business; affairs, service, work
5656 -- abodah or agowdah: work of any kind
6381 -- pala: properly perhaps to separate, i.e. distinguish (lit. or fig.); by impl. to be (causat. make) great, difficult, wonderful; perform, accomplish works
Greek:
2041 -- ergon; from ergo (to work); toil, work
2040 -- ergates; from 2041; a toiler; fig. a teacher; worker
3056 -- logos; something said; word; account; work.
Related questions:
Who "calls" people to conversion?
What is the purpose of the "ministry"?
Is God working through all "Christian" churches?
Is God in a "contest" with Satan?
Who and what are the "firstfruits"?
What is the "work" that we should be doing?
How can one determine that God is working through an individual or group today?
How does one recognize "false ministers" (2 Pet. 2:1) and "wolves" (Acts 20:29-30) among us?
How does God expect His work to be supported?
What is the relationship between the "work" and faith?
What part do women have in the "work" of God?
Is Christ's Second Coming dependent upon any "work" of men?
Should we expect a "work" of God to be led by a "perfect" man or "perfect" men?
Are there true "apostles" and "prophets" among us today?
Can a group doing a "work" be spiritually "dead"?
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